Saturday, February 03, 2007 SMB nears finals after dumping Red Bull
THE memory of their bitter loss to Red Bull in the previous conference still haunts Olsen Racela. And he swears he and his teammates will make the Barakos pay back.
“We have a score to settle. That’s my mindset coming into this series,” declared the San Miguel Beer veteran guard moments after their 111-82 annihilation of the Barakos Friday night in Game 5 of their semifinal duel in the 2006-07 Talk n Text-PBA Philippine Cup behind another SRO crowd at the Araneta Coliseum.
The teams were also paired against each other in the Final Four of the same tournament last season with Red Bull eliminating SMB in the deciding Game 7 courtesy of Junthy Valenzuela’s buzzer-beating basket.
“It’s always a challenge to play against Red Bull,” Racela admits. “Let’s see what happens in Game 6.”
Happy
Game 6 is set Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum with the Beermen eyeing a 28th Finals appearance since 1975, the most by any franchise.
Right after their triumphant stint that gave them a 3-2 lead in the series, SMB coach Chot Reyes he told his troops to be happy about this win and celebrate but start thinking about Sunday.
“By all means we’ll go for it on Sunday,” proclaimed Reyes, proud and happy with the way his big men – Dorian Pena, Romel Adducul and Danny Ildefonso – held their own against their Red Bull counterparts.
Usually ferocious and energetic, the Barakos played flat and didn’t seem to have the urgency to win.
Grit
The grit and determination they displayed when they beat the Beermen in the closing seconds of Game 4 to level the series were showcased virtually the entire game.
Overall though it was their turnovers and poor shooting that cost them the game.
San Miguel Beer 111 – Seigle D. 21, Racela 19, Gonzales 16, Calaguio 15, Pena 13, Adducul 10, Ildefonso 10, Hontiveros 3, Espinas 2, Wilson 2. Red Bull 82 – Baguio 19, Valenzuela 15, Fonacier 14, Najorda 9, Alvarez 6, Cruz 5, Pennisi 5, Sharma 3, Robinson 3, Villanueva 2. (PBA Media Bureau)
